1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to improvements in label devices, and particularly, to a label for attaching to a bottle containing a liquid and having a hanger for suspending the bottle.
2. Description of Related Art
International patent application publication WO 92/15081 discloses a hanging label for identifying the contents of intravenous bottles. The label comprises two layers of plastic material surrounding the bottle. A hanging ring is defined in the label by a pair of die cut lines which penetrate the upper layer of the label. This known label requires additional production costs in that it comprises two layers which must be bonded together by use of an adhesive. Pharmaceutical companies are nowadays faced more and more with the need to provide extensive instructions requiring a lot of space; which is often a problem if the product is contained in a small bottle. Space is also often required on the labels to permit a doctor to write patient information on the labels. However, the hanging ring of WO 92/15081 intersects the label surface at two places, and therefore, appreciably reduces the useful area available for information and instructions which is especially a problem if the hanging label should be used for a small bottle. A booklet containing further product information cannot be attached to the label, because it would impede the handling of the hanging ring.
European Patent EP 0 356 574 and laid open German Patent application DE 195 05 531 A1 each disclose hanging labels consisting of two superimposed bonded layers in which a transparent front layer has the form of a suspension strap. Those labels are particularly costly due to the material consumption for the two layers and the means for bonding them together securely. Further, those labels do not allow attachment of a booklet to the label which extends more than one half of the perimeter of a bottle to which the label is to be attached, because such a booklet would impede the handling of the suspension strap.
German utility model G 91 01 464 discloses a hanging label consisting of a single layer and having a die cut line which extends along that edge of the label which is close to the bottom of a bottle and to which the label is to be applied. The die-cut line defines a suspension strap which can be slipped over the bottom of the bottle for hanging the bottle upside down. The label, and hence the suspension strap, must have a length which is equal to half the perimeter of the bottle, and therefore, the hanging strap is short in comparison to the bottle and difficult to be handled.
European Patent EP 0 632 422 discloses a hanging label consisting of a single layer and having a closed loop, die-cut line defining a U-shaped suspension strap extending from that edge of the label which is close to the bottom of a bottle and to which the label is to be applied. In the production of this label, the material of the layer inside the U-shaped suspension strap is punched out, which results in a lot of waste.